Stunts Biography - David Perna

Episodes

tos

This episode opens with the Enterprise doing some scientific research around a planet which is emitting strange "ripples" in time. The ship is constantly buffeted and shaken by these ripples, but Spock insists that the data they are gathering is invaluable so they continue. Then there is an accident - a console burns out and electrocutes a crew member. Bones rushes to the bridge and decides that an injection of Cordrazine is needed, despite Kirk's layman's warning that it is "tricky stuff".

The injection works, but another ripple causes the good doctor to fall on his hypospray, giving himself a massive overdose of the drug. Bones immediately becomes hysterical and rushes from the bridge. He manages to make his way to the transporter room and beams down to the planet below, closely followed by a landing party led by Kirk.

Once on the planet the landing party discovers ruins of an ancient city - and in the centre of them stands a large, irregular ring structure. The crew fan out and are quickly successful in capturing Bones, who is raving with paranoia as a result of his overdose. Spock scans the ring and declares that it is the source of the time distortion. The ring speaks to the crew, announcing itself as "The Guardian of Forever". It claims to have been there for billions of years - greatly predating the ruins around it - and says it is a doorway that can take them to any time or place. Images appear in the middle of the ring, showing Earths past flowing by at the rate of decades every second.

McCoy breaks free of his guards and dashes through the ring. Instantly the Enterprise vanishes from orbit - all trace of the Federation has been wiped out except for the landing party who are protected by their proximity to the Guardian. Spock deduces that McCoy must have caused some change in the past which has prevented the formation of the Federation. The only way to restore history is to go through the Guardian after him. Kirk decides to go, ordering the others to make further attempts if he fails. Spock attempts to judge the exact moment to jump through, and the pair vanish.

Emerging on 1930's Earth, the pair steal some clothes to blend in with the locals - including a hat to cover Spock's ears. They find a local mission run by a woman named Edith Keeler where they can get some lodgings and work. Kirk is fascinated by Edith, who confidently predicts a future free of poverty in which man will travel the stars. While Spock spends his time attempting to build a computer capable of accessing his tricorder to view the images he recorded from the Guardian, Kirk and Edith fall in love.

Eventually, Bones appears in the city, still delusion. He collapses and is taken to the same mission, where Keeler cares for him. Gradually he recovers, although he is naturally reluctant to accept that he is really in the 1930's! Meanwhile Spock makes progress, and discovers the change McCoy introduced - in the original timeline Keeler was killed in a traffic accident. In the alternate timeline McCoy saved her, and she went on to become an important figure in American politics. Her avocation of peace delayed the entry of the USA into World War II, allowing the Nazis to develop the atom bomb first and so win the war. In order to restore time, Kirk must allow the woman he loves to die.

As Kirk escorts Keeler to the movies, she makes casual mention of Doctor McCoy. Kirk rushes back to the mission to be greeted by a delighted Bones. Edith, following him back, steps in front of a car. As McCoy dashes out to save her Kirk grabs hold of him and holds him back. Edith is hit and killed. Time is restored, and the three officers head back through their 'portal' to the future just moments after they left. The Enterprise is back in its normal place, and Kirk orders the landing party beamed up.

When Spock begins to act strangely, he is reluctant to discuss the cause with anybody. Finally, Kirk convinces him to reveal that he is undergoing the Pon Farr, a chemical imbalance which occurs in adult Vulcans every seven years as part of their urge to mate. If Spock cannot return to Vulcan within days, he will die - but the Enterprise is needed at Altair IV for an important ceremony and Starfleet refuses Kirk permission to divert the ship. With his friend's life at stake, Kirk disobeys orders and heads to Vulcan. On arrival Spock's wife to be rejects him, invoking an ancient combat ritual and choosing Kirk as her champion. In accordance with Vulcan law, Kirk must face his friend in a brutal fight to the death.

McCoy is having a chat with Kirk when he points out that Spock has been acting rather strangely of late, even for him. Kirk is inclined to blow this off as nothing serious, but as the two pass by the First Officer's quarters they observe him yelling at Nurse Chapel, apparently in an angry rage. Spock demands to take some leave on Vulcan, pointing out that they can divert to the planet with the loss of only a few days. Kirk, however, notes that they are on the way to Altair VI, a planet with excellent shore facilities at which Spock can take his leave. When Spock practically begs Kirk to take him to Vulcan, the Captain accedes and orders the course change.

Unfortunately, the ship subsequently recieves a message from Starfleet. The inauguration ceremony they had been due to attend on Altair VI have been moved up by six days, giving them no time to divert to Vulcan. Kirk apologetically orders the ship back onto a straight line course.

Later on, after mulling over the situation in his quarters, Kirk calls up to the bridge and asks Chekov if they can still make the detour if they accelerate to maximum. A puzzled Chekov points out that they are already back on course for Vulcan, as ordered by Spock. Kirk takes Spock from the bridge and asks for an explanation, but whilst he does not deny that he ordered the course change Spock states that he has no memory of doing so. He refuses any further inquiry, which prompts Kirk to order him to sickbay for a full examination and change course back to Altair VI.

The results of the examination are startling - Spock's body chemistry is massively out of balance, and is growing worse. If the imbalance is not corrected soon then he will die. Since McCoy has no knowledge of the condition he has no idea how to cure it. Kirk talks to Spock and manages to convince him to explain. Spock states that Vulcans experience a periodic mating cycle which he calls the Pon Farr. Like many creatures, during this time Vulcans are compelled to return to their home to mate.

Kirk calls Starfleet and requests permission to divert to Vulcan, but this is refused point blank. He decides to divert anyway, judging that Starfleet is exaggerating the importance of the Altair VI inaguration. The ship heads off for Vulcan at Warp 8.

They arrive to be greeted by T'Pring, Spock's wife to be. Spock, Kirk and McCoy beam down to the planet for the ceremony, which is officiated over by T'Pau. A highly respected and important member of Vulcan society, T'Pau is and the only person ever to turn down the offer of a seat on the Federation Council. T'Pring arrives accompanied by Stonn, a pure-blooded Vulcan. However, as the ceremony gets underway she abruptly halts the proceedings, declining to go through with the marriage and invoking the koon-ut-kal-if-fee, her right to a physical challenge between her husband and a champion who will fight on her behalf. Surprisingly, she picks Kirk to be her champion.

Spock asks that T'Pau forbid the challenge, since Kirk "does not understand" what is happening, but T'Pau allows Kirk to decide, telling him another champion will be selected if he declines. Kirk accepts the challenge, reasoning that if he refuses then T'Pring will just pick Stonn as her champion since the two are obviously together. Whilst Stonn would probably win over the weakened Spock, Kirk figures that he can just throw the fight and let Spock win. Only after he accepts does he find that the fight is to the death.

Despite Spock's condition he is a formidable opponent, and appears to be quite skilled with the traditional Vulcan weapons they are using. Kirk, on the other hand, is fatigued by the intense heat and thin atmosphere of the planet. McCoy objects to the conditions, telling T'Pau that Kirk is seriously disadvantaged. He suggests he inject Kirk with a tri-ox compound to compensate for the thin air, which T'Pau allows. The combat continues but despite the injection Kirk is unable to compete with his First Officer and Spock is able to strangle him. McCoy pronounces the Captain dead and beams back to the Enterprise with Kirk's body.

Spock remains behind to discuss the outcome, asking T'Pring to explain her actions. She tells him that he has become much known amongst their people, practically a legend, and that she "did not wish to be the consort of a legend." She also developed a preference for Stonn, something Spock fails to understand. T'Pring points out that she could only legally end her arrangement with Spock through the koon-ut-kal-if-fee, but if she had chosen Stonn as her champion then Spock might well have killed him. By choosing Kirk there are only two outcomes; Kirk wins, in which case he is unlikely to want a complete stranger as his wife and so she will be free. Or Spock wins, in which case he may well free her anyway since she had resorted to the challenge. Either way, she would be able to be with Stonn. And even if Spock had won and then decided to hold her to the marriage, he would have gone back to his life in Starfleet leaving her behind with control of all of his land and property, "and Stonn would still be here". Thus she stood to gain no matter what the outcome. Spock congratulates her on her sound use of logic, and frees her to be with Stonn - though he points out that, logic or not, Stonn may find in time that marriage to T'Pring is not as satisfying as he might hope for.

Beaming back up, Spock announces that he intends to resign his commission and submit himself to Starfleet for disciplinary action. However, Captain Kirk proves to be alive and well - the injection McCoy gave him was a neuroparalyzer which simulated death. Spock cannot contain a moment of pure joy at seeing Kirk alive, though he subsequently denies this completely. He also notes that engaging in the combat on the surface has apparently resolved his biochemical imbalance, leaving him fit and well. Better still, a message from Starfleet indicates that T'Pau has intervened with the Federation, clearing Kirk of any negative consequences for his disobedience to orders in diverting to Vulcan. With the situation resolved, the ship proceeds on course.